The coming of the Marauders map-
This is my first Fan Fiction! This Fan Fiction is told from Remus Lupin's point of view…
It was Saturday afternoon. We were down by the lake in our usual spot. The ground around us was littered with parchment and quills, a well thumbed of Quidditch through the ages and an untidy pile of apple cores curtsey of Peter.
"wouldn't it be great if we knew where …. Was every minute of everyday?" Padfoot wondered aloud. I looked over my book and raised an eyebrow. "That didn't sound creepy at all Padfoot," I retorted. James had sat bolt upright, "yeah," he joined in, "and where everyone else is too!" "You only mean Evans, Prongs," Sirius added, looking suspiciously at James. James threw him a dirty look while Pettigrew tittered, desperate not to be left out. "If only we could, it would come in handy," Sirius continued, "that way we could look at it at any time and track anyone." He slumped back down on the grass and plucked a blade aimlessly. James picked up his battered Quidditch through the ages and flipped it open carelessly. Pettigrew went back to eating apples and watching Sirius and James enviously. My thoughts seemed to linger on this idea but I slowly returned to my book and started my potions essay.
"It would have to be on parchment," I started half an hour later. James and Sirius's attention snapped to me. "And reversible that way people couldn't steal and look at it," I continued.
"You mean like some kind of password?" James said. "Yeah," Sirius said, "and some kind of code to get into it." "But what would be the password?" James pondered. "Well with the amount of mischief you two manage to get up to I would think you could think of something," I sighed. "What about mischief managed?" said Sirius. "Excellent Padfoot," James said. "I like it," I answered, "and the code to get in?" "Well it's not really a code but like an oath," James said changing his mind. Sirius raised his eyebrows at him "like I solemnly swear," he said mockingly placing a hand on his chest. "Yeah," I said, "I solemnly swear that I'm up to mischief." "Nah, we already had mischief. What about I solemnly swear that I am up… to no good," James said his eyes brightening.
One week later
The common room was fairly crowded but it was easy to see Prongs, Padfoot and Wormtail. Prongs was lounging around on a sofa trying to catch Lily's eye. Sirius had a nasty habit of trying to put people off their studies much to their annoyance and his pleasure. Wormtail was sucking the end of his quill trying to figure out his history of magic essay. I wondered over to them and sat down pulling out an old battered piece of parchment. I laid it down in the middle of the table where several books, quills and pieces of parchment were casually discarded. Sirius and James looked at the aged parchment with apprehension. I pulled out my wand and tapped the parchment lightly mumbling, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." The blank parchment transformed and on the front a message appeared in red ink, it had worked. James read:
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs
Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers
are proud to present
the Marauder's Map
"Cool," breathed Sirius opening the map. The Hogwarts grounds were in full view including the passages out of the grounds that we had found. Pettigrew pointed a scabby finger at one area that read 'Gryffindor common room' and sure enough there were four labels bearing our names clustered in one corner with our fellow Gryffindor's scattered around each bearing their name. Tiny footsteps showed their every move, twist and turn. "Great," Sirius hissed slightly, "Snivellus." "Now time to put it to use," James smiled. I tapped the parchment, "mischief managed" and silently added "for now…"